6 ms·

> If there is no longer a reason for people to live close together, decentralization is the most likely outcome. Many people like living next to other people p

> If there is no longer a reason for people to live close together, decentralization is the most likely outcome. Many people like living next to other people purely for social reasons.

red-iron-pine 21d ago
why do you think a bot can't replace that, either? given all of the issues with people getting attached to their online girlfriend -- it's already happening
- preg_match 21d ago
  Because the social issues happen at a more biological level, hormones and cell signaling and stuff. Robots are at a much higher level. Online girlfriends are cool, but as we all know, not a replacement for physical touch, intimacy, and relationship building. Your body doesn’t release oxytocin from cuddling with your cold computer. Maybe we can eventually “trick” the human brain, but I think it will be much more challenging than people think. I would imagine if people even just knew someone was a robot, the jig is up. For most people. It wouldn’t be enough to create the perfect humanoid robot. We’d also have to make them hidden in plain sight. Full Ex Machina style.
  - polotics 21d ago
    Did you really mean to write really: "Online girlfriends are cool" In my humble opinion, they are the epitome of uncool.
    - preg_match 21d ago
      I mean cool as in “okay… I guess people can do that”. Not as in “wow that’s rad!” Like, neutral cool.
      - polotics 20d ago
        Wow, that's a different perspective. I should read more of your posts. For me the fact that 30% of men and 20% of women are not having intimacy is quite scary. I guess a revised edition of the book sextinction is in order.
        preg_match 18d ago
        I mean, the fact that relationships are falling apart is a big problem and I have A LOT to say about it. I just generally don't say too much about it, because it's a hard topic and you can't address it without bringing up the role of genderized socialization, the patriarchy, women's progress in the 20th century, the impact of the internet, the rise of the manosphere and similar toxic content, and more. It touches on virtually every aspect of human life, from biological, to social, to political, to technological. I am also gay, so it's difficult for me to address these things because I completely reject the heteronormitive perspective. I basically believe all gender roles are dumb and should not exist, but generally straight people do not like to hear that. And, I can't blame them, because for them, they often don't have the option to reject gender norms. It's a mind field in the heterosexual dating world because everyone is forced to balance the new-age of gender progression mixed with millennia of gender norms and expectations. I do, however, think it will improve in time. We are very much still in the growing pains era.
  - deleted 20d ago
    [deleted]
abroszka33 21d ago
I don't think so. At the first chance during COVID people started moving out of big cities. Most people don't need the city, they need a village. We are in cities due to jobs requiring us to be in big cities.
- frshgts 21d ago
  People moved out of the cities during COVID because close physical proximity to large numbers of strangers was a potentially deadly hazard to their health.
  - abroszka33 21d ago
    I don't think so, a lot of people were just happy that remote work is a thing now and ditched the city for a more comfortable life.
    - watwut 21d ago
      I strongly prefer home office. And also living in city. I get benefits of both that way.
    - ElProlactin 21d ago
      > ...and ditched the city for a more comfortable life It depends on what you mean by "comfortable." A lot of people who moved to less populated areas found they weren't fully prepared to live with fewer amenities and choice in every aspect of life, from hospitals to supermarkets to mates. There was a meaningful post-COVID return to cities and it wasn't driven exclusively by return to office mandates.
- trial3 20d ago
  the two people i know who moved upstate from NYC have both independently moved back. i think the grass seemed extra green during the long tail of lockdown.

> If there is no longer a reason for people to live close together, decentralization is the most likely outcome. Many people like living next to other people purely for social reasons.

red-iron-pine 21d ago

why do you think a bot can't replace that, either? given all of the issues with people getting attached to their online girlfriend -- it's already happening

preg_match 21d ago
Because the social issues happen at a more biological level, hormones and cell signaling and stuff. Robots are at a much higher level. Online girlfriends are cool, but as we all know, not a replacement for physical touch, intimacy, and relationship building. Your body doesn’t release oxytocin from cuddling with your cold computer. Maybe we can eventually “trick” the human brain, but I think it will be much more challenging than people think. I would imagine if people even just knew someone was a robot, the jig is up. For most people. It wouldn’t be enough to create the perfect humanoid robot. We’d also have to make them hidden in plain sight. Full Ex Machina style.
- polotics 21d ago
  Did you really mean to write really: "Online girlfriends are cool" In my humble opinion, they are the epitome of uncool.
  - preg_match 21d ago
    I mean cool as in “okay… I guess people can do that”. Not as in “wow that’s rad!” Like, neutral cool.
    - polotics 20d ago
      Wow, that's a different perspective. I should read more of your posts. For me the fact that 30% of men and 20% of women are not having intimacy is quite scary. I guess a revised edition of the book sextinction is in order.
      - preg_match 18d ago
        I mean, the fact that relationships are falling apart is a big problem and I have A LOT to say about it. I just generally don't say too much about it, because it's a hard topic and you can't address it without bringing up the role of genderized socialization, the patriarchy, women's progress in the 20th century, the impact of the internet, the rise of the manosphere and similar toxic content, and more. It touches on virtually every aspect of human life, from biological, to social, to political, to technological. I am also gay, so it's difficult for me to address these things because I completely reject the heteronormitive perspective. I basically believe all gender roles are dumb and should not exist, but generally straight people do not like to hear that. And, I can't blame them, because for them, they often don't have the option to reject gender norms. It's a mind field in the heterosexual dating world because everyone is forced to balance the new-age of gender progression mixed with millennia of gender norms and expectations. I do, however, think it will improve in time. We are very much still in the growing pains era.
- deleted 20d ago
  [deleted]

abroszka33 21d ago

I don't think so. At the first chance during COVID people started moving out of big cities. Most people don't need the city, they need a village. We are in cities due to jobs requiring us to be in big cities.

frshgts 21d ago
People moved out of the cities during COVID because close physical proximity to large numbers of strangers was a potentially deadly hazard to their health.
- abroszka33 21d ago
  I don't think so, a lot of people were just happy that remote work is a thing now and ditched the city for a more comfortable life.
  - watwut 21d ago
    I strongly prefer home office. And also living in city. I get benefits of both that way.
  - ElProlactin 21d ago
    > ...and ditched the city for a more comfortable life It depends on what you mean by "comfortable." A lot of people who moved to less populated areas found they weren't fully prepared to live with fewer amenities and choice in every aspect of life, from hospitals to supermarkets to mates. There was a meaningful post-COVID return to cities and it wasn't driven exclusively by return to office mandates.
trial3 20d ago
the two people i know who moved upstate from NYC have both independently moved back. i think the grass seemed extra green during the long tail of lockdown.